Device for synchronizing clocks



(No Model.)

B. W. WILLSON.

DEVICE FOR SYNGHRONIZING CLOCKS.

No. 288,906. Patented Nov. 20, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

ROBERT XV. \VILLSON, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR SYNCHRONIZING CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,906, dated November20, 1883.

(No model.)

1' 0 all whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT \V. IVILLSON, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inSynchronizing Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following,when takenin connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a front view, aportion of the front plate broken away forconvenient illustration, and showing the parts in their normalcondition; Fig. 2, a top or plan view; Fig. 3, a front view illustratingthe operation of the synchronizing mechanism on receiving the impulse.

This invention relates to an improvement in device for synchronizingclocksthat is to say, at a predetermined time to automatically set orturn the minute-pointer to a fixed point, if during the previous periodit has varied from the true time, the setting being performed through animpulse received from a distant or some central point, whereby manyclocks on the circuit, or on different circuits in connection, may be atsome predetermined time set to the exact time, notwithstanding avariation either faster or slower during the previous period.

In mechanism for thus synchronizing clocks as hitherto generallyemployed a strong current or impulse has been necessary in order to turnthe pointers. In some cases it is the power of the current or impulsewhich turns the pointers, as in the well-known Lund patents. Inothersas, for instance, in a patent granted to me November 7, 1882, No.267, @00the current or impulse is required to remove or disconnect thepower] of the clock which turns the pointers, and permit the action ofaspring to turn the pointers to the predetermined position. 111 eithercase the impulse or current must be very strong.

The obj eet of my invention is to avoid the necessity of a strongcurrent or impulse, and at the same time prevent the power from runningdown should the circuit remain closed or the impulse continue; and theinvention consists, principally, in the combination of a clock-movementcarrying the time-pointers, a train of wheels, and power for driving thesame independent of the clock-movement, with mechanism whereby acircuitclosed or impulse received will liberate the power to cause the pointersto be turned, and arrest the action of the power after synchronizingshall have taken place, whether or not the impulse con tinue or thecircuit be brokent-hat is to say, independent of the impulse giving orreleasing device.

In illustrating my invention I show only a general view of theclock-movement which carries the minute-pointer A, this beingsufi'icient for the illustration of my invention, as the mechanism ofthe clock may be any of the known clock-movements.

At some convenient position, and preferably as here represented, theindependent power for synchronizing is arranged directly over theclock-movement; but it will be understood that it is entirelyindependent of the clockmovement and in no connection therewith. Thisindependent power, as here represented, consists of a spring, B, appliedto a main wheel by a pawl-and-ratchet connection in the usual manner ofapplying coiled springs to drive clock-movements, the spring being woundin the same manner-a device too well known to require particulardescription.

At a position each side the point where the synchronizing is to beperformed, (here represented as at twelve o clock,) two wheels, I) E, ofequal diameter, are arranged in suitable bearings and geared together.The power is communicated to a pinion, F, on the shaft of one of thewheels from the main wheel by an intermediate wheel, G, and pinion II,as seen in Fig. 2. From the shaft of one of the wheelssay Dan arm, a,extends radially and revolves with that shaft. I is the magnet, arrangedin some convenient position near or in connection with this independentmovement K, the armature on the end of an arm, L, which extends fromarock-shaft, M. The usual circuit-connections are made so that when thecircuit is closed the armature will be drawn to the mag net, and whenreleased will rise from it, caused so to do by the action of a spring,N, or otherwise, represented in the drawing as raisedthat is, thecircuit open. From the same rockshaft, M, an arm, P, extends upward, itsend turned at right angles to the arm to form a hook, I), and when thecircuit is open, as shown, the arm a, which extends from the shaft ofthe wheel D, stands beneath the hook I) of the arm P. This arm P,therefore, holds the wheel D from revolution, and consequent] y the power of the mainspring in suspense; but when the circuit is closed, asseen in Fig. 3, the arm P of the rock-shaft M is drawn out of the pathof the arm (1, so that when the circuit is so closed the wheel D is freeto revolve, as also the wheel E, the two revolving alike. On the forwardends of the shafts of the two wheels D E there are arranged,respectively, fingers d and f, which extend radially from the shafts.The ends of the fingers are turned outward, as seen in Fig. 2, so as tostand in the plane of the pointer A.

Now, suppose the clock to be slow at the time the synchronizing is to beproduced-say, standing in the position seen in Fig. 1. At thepredetermined time the circuit is closed,which instantly releases thearm a and permits the independent movement to run, which will impartrevolution to the wheels D E in the direction indicated by arrows, andas the fingers come around the one at the left will strike the pointerand bring it to the vertical position between the two fingers, as seenin Fig. 3, which is the true time. The circuit broken, the wheels willcontinue their movement until the arm a again comes into engagement withthe arm P, and will there be arrested, the wheels D E having made a fullrevolution, and will so remain until again the circuit is closed, whenthey will operate in the same manner. If, instead of slow,the pointer isfast, then the finger f on the wheel E will operate upon the oppositeside of that pointer and return it to the true posit-ion between the twofingers, as seen in Fig. 3. The continued revolution of the wheels afterthe synchronizing is produced brings the fingers to a position out ofthe path of the pointer, so as not to interfere with its revolutionduring the rise between the times of synchronizin If the circuit shouldremain closed, the independent power would continue to revolve thewheelsD E; but if the circuit be broken during the first revolution ofthe wheels D E, which it easily may be, then the independent power willbe arrested, as before described; but to provide against a longerclosing of the circuit, and therefore prevent the wheels fromcontinually revolving, I arrange an arm, 6, projecting radially from theshaft of the wheel E, but at about a quarter of a turn back of theposition of the arm a on the other wheel. This arm extends into the sameplane as the hooked end I) of the lever P, and so that when the circuitis closed, as seen in Fig. 3, the arm 0 will en- T gage the hook I) ofthe arm P and arrest the further running of the independent movement.until such time as the circuit shall be broken,

and then,when the circuit is broken, the arm P of the rock-shaft willescape from the arm of the wheel E and pass into a position to en gagethe arm a of the wheel D, as in Fig. 1, the extreme vibrations of thearm P being from a position in the path of one arm, a, into the path ofthe arm 6 and return; hence but a single revolution of the wheels D Ecan 00- it will be seen that while the synchronizing is positive, thesynchronizing devices cannot by any possibility interfere with theproper running of the clock, and should the circuit be accidentallyclosed and held closed during the time between two synchronizingperiods, it can have no effect upon the clock, and thus will notinterfere with the regular running of the clock, as many of thesynchronizing devices heretofore constructed will do. To prevent thewheels D E from running too rapidly, I arrange a brake, R, upon one ofthe wheels; or a fly may be introduced, or other known device, toprevent the too rapid running of the wheels under the influence of thepower when liberated. All the power that is required for the magnet issimply to turn the arm P from its engagement with the arm a of thesynchronizing-wheel. That wheel, being a rapidly-revolving wheel, iscapable of imparting but a very slight power or pressure upon the arm P;hence the electric power required to liberate the synchronizingmechanism is .very small when compared with the electric power requiredwhere that power is applied directly to the turning of the pointers, orwhere applied to relieve the pointers from the power of the clock work,as in my patent before mentioned. The arrangement of a mechanismindependent of the clock-movement enables the application of asynchronizing mechanism to many clocks where it would be difficult toapply it in rear of the dial, as in the Lund and other patents.

I have represented the clock-train as actuated by a spring actingdirectly on the main wheel; but it will be understood that this may be aweight or other known means for applying power thereto.

I have represented the impulse as being received through an electricalcircuit; but this impulse may be received through any of the knownimpulse-giving mediums, it onlybeing essential that such impulsereceived shall be suffieient to turn the arm P from its engagedposition-that is, simply to liberate the power.

I have represented the apparatus as operated upon an open circuit; butit will be un- 'derstood that if the circuit be a closed circuit theaction will be reversed. '7

Instead of employing the wheels D E and their respective arms as thesynchronizing device, other mechanism may be employed, through which theindependent movement or ICO train of gearing may act to turn the pointerat the predetermined time. Instead of applying this independent power ortrain of gearing to operate the synchronizing mechanism, that mechanismmay be held in suspense by this independent train of gearing, and sothat when the power of that train is liberated by the impulse it willliberate the synchronizing device and permit it to perform its work, andthen after it has performed the work of synchronizing to remove it fromits point of action or connection, so as to be out of the way and not tointerfere with the turning of the pointers. This modified form of myindependent synchronizing-power will constitute the subject of aseparate application.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to theparticular device between the independent train of gearing and thepointers to be acted upon, the essential feature of my invention beingthe application of a train of gearing forming a power inde pendent ofthe clock -movement, combined with mechanism between said independenttrain and the pointers to be operated upon, the power of saidindependent train also independent of the impulse-giving devices, thesaid impulse-giving devices being employed only to permit it to act at apredetermined time, and having combined therewith mechanism whereby ifthe liberating force of the impulse be continued the action of the powerwhich operates the synchronizing mechanism will be arrestedthat is tosay, independent of the impulse giving or receiving device.

I claim 1. The combination of a clock-movement carrying thetime-pointer, a train of wheels and power for driving the sameindependent of the clock-movement, mechanism, substantially such asdescribed, between said train and the pointers, whereby at apredetermined time said independent train will act upon the point ers,and a lever, one arm of which is arranged to receive the impulse and inconnection with said train, whereby the movement of said lever under thesaid impulse will liberate the power to cause the wheels of the train torevolve and operate said synchronizing mechanism, and also arrest thefurther revolution of the train after the synchronizing shall have beenproduced, such arrest being independent of said impulse-that is, whetheror not the power of the impulse be broken or continuedsubstantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a clock-movement carrying the time-pointer, atrain of wheels and power for driving the same independent of theclock-movement, mechanism, substantially such as described, between saidtrain and the pointers, whereby at a predetermined time said independenttrain will act upon the point ers, and a lever, one arm of which isarranged to receive the impulse and in connection with said train,whereby the movement of said lever under the said impulse will liberatethe power to cause the wheels of the train to revolve and operate saidsynchronizing mechanism, and also arrest the further revolution of thetrain after the synchronizing shall have been produced, and the saidlever upon being released from said impulse will again liberate the saidpower to cause a slight movement of the synchronizing mechanism beforesaid lever will again engage and arrest the movement of the trainpreparatory to the next synchronizing operation, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a clock-movement carrying the time-pointers, atrain of gearing and power for driving the same independent of theclock-movement, the wheels D E, carrying, respectively, thesynchronizing-fingers d f, the magnet I, armature-lever L, arm P inconnection with said armature-lever, the arm a in connection with thesaid wheel D, and arm 0 on the wheel E, substantially as described.

ROBERT XV. XVILLSOX.

XYit-nesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELSEY.

